Method of testing core tubes



March 13, 1945. H. T. BOOTH 2,371,217

METHOD OF TESTING CORE TUBES Filed Dec. 12, 1942 a g a War/"y 7T oof/7,

Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES E ATENT OFFICE a 2,371,217 1 g I METHOD or TESTING cons TUBES Harry T. Booth, Glencoe, Ill. Application December 12, 1942, Serial No. 468,805

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of testing tubes, and more particularly the strength of the core tubes of oil coolers used in airplanes, although not so limited. 1

The primary object of the invention is to test the tubes by subjecting the exteriors thereof to fluid pressure of a predetermined degree substantially equal to, or exceeding that of the strength requirement of the tubes in use, so as to crush or effect collapse of such tubes that are defective or fail to meet the prescribed requirements, and thus enable visual and instantaneous rejectment of those unfit for use, or incapacitated for assembly in fabricating the" core.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method wherein the tubes can be tested in a single operation en masse, more specifically in lotsof varying numbers, for example from six to ten thousand. v

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method which expedites testing by placement of the container box or crate in which the tubes are shipped in confined space and into which the testing fluid under pressure is admitted; without removal of the tubes from the container.

The invention further aims to provide a tube testing method which is simple in operation; that can expeditiously be practiced and which involves a minimum of steps in its performance.

The invention has still further and other objects which will be later herein set forth and of themselves manifested in the course of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a chamber containing the original box or crate in which the tubes are shipped, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the chamber or apparatus containing the original box or crate in which the tubes'are tested.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, and as depicted in Figure 2 of the drawing, achamber l is employed having a removable closure 2, secured in fluid-sealed position by means of bolts 3, and an intervening gasket 4.

The chamber is provided with a valve controlled ingress or inlet 5 connected to a suitable source of fluid pressure (not shown) and with a gage 6, by means of which latter the pressure in the chamber upon reaching the predetermined degree will be indicated and thereuponthe valve closed. The chamber is also provided with a pressure venting or exhaust valve I0.

The-tubes designated T, aredepicted with the conventional enlarged hexagonal ends E, and are shipped in crates or boxes B in numbersusually varying from six to ten thousand. The enlarged hexagonal ends E abut and thus hold the bodies of the tubes spaced, so that the testing fluid is afforded free access thereto. The top and bottom of the shipping container or box are initially removed thereby to expose the open ends of the tubes, following which sheets S of soft rubber, or any other suitable material, ofv a size or area to cover and close each of the ends of the tubes in their collective relation, are ap-: plied to the tube ends. Then rigid cover plates 1 and 8 are ap lied to the rubber sheets S, and clamped together by means of bolts 9 to an extent to assure closing and thereby sealing of the open ends of the tubes against the ingress of air or other fluid pressure existent in the con-,

tainer, aswill now be set forth.

The tubes thus sealed are then placed within the chamber as depicted in Figure 2, following which the closure 2 is applied, and held in fluidsealed position by the bolts 3. Thus the tubes are hermetically sealed against the ingress of the fluid pressure, and the chamber likewise sealed against the egress of the fluid pressure. The valve 5 is now opened to admit the fluid which may be air or any other suitable fluid pressure and upon reading of the latter on the gage, the valve is closed when the pressure reaches the predetermined degree to which the tubes are to be tested for their external strength. Thus, if the strength requirement is 200 pounds per square inch, then this pressure is utilized. Any tube or tubes which fail to resist the fluid pressure within the chamber will be crushed or collapsed, thus enabling their incapacity to be visually determined, upon removal of the box from the chamber, and subsequent removal of the tubes from the box, the latter accomplished by dissembling the cover plates and the rubber sealing sheets by releasing the bolts 9, preceded however by exhausting the. pressure within the container through valve l0. Thus it will be apparent that the invention provides an efiective and expeditious method of testing the tubes in their originally shipped or stacked relation in the' crate, box or container and without dismantling same save the removal of the top and bottom of the shipping container or box.

In brief, the invention comprehends a tube H testin-g'method wherein a plurality of tubes, without removal fromthe shipping box, in one as- It is also to be expressly understood that while i the invention has been illustrated and described with the tubes tested in their original shipping case or box, that same is not so limited, since comprehending collective or even per se testing of tubes or hollow bodies all having open ends and wherein their ends are sealed and their exteriors subjected to a pressure which will crush or collapse same, should they fail to meet prescribed requirements predetermined by'the fluid pressure.

It is further to be expressly understood that the invention is susceptible to such changes, alterations, and modifications, as fall within its spirit and scope announced by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described method of testing a multiplicity of tubes having at least oneopen end by fluid under pressure applied to substantially the entire exteriors of the'tubes, which resides in assembling and holding the tubes to constitute a unit, sealing the open end of the tubes while so assembled against the ingress of the fluid, placing the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure-into said space and of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse such tubes that are irresistant to the pressure.

2;"The herein described method of testing tubes each having at least one open end by fluid under pressure applied to the exteriors'of the tubes, which resides in sealing the openends of the tubes against the ingress of the fluid into the interior'thereof, holding the opposite ends of the tubes against movement, positioning the tubes so sealed and held in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said space and of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tube in use is subjected, thereby to crush or collapse the tube if irresistant to the pressure. 3

3. The herein described method of testing hollow bodies having open ends by fluid under pressure applied'to substantially .the entire exteriors of the bodies which resides in assembling and holding the bodies as a unit, sealing the open ends of the bodies against the ingress of .ithesfiuid into the interiors thereof, placing the bodies 50' sealed in confined space, and then admitting'fluid under pressure into said space and Jof..a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the bodies in use are subjected, thereby to crush .or collapse :such bodies as are irresistant-to the pressure.

4. The herein described method of testing tubes in their shipping casesand without removal thereof from the case by fluid under pressure applied to the exteriors of the tubes whichresides in removing those parts of the case juxtaposed to the ends of the tubes, then sealing the said ends of thetubes against-the ingress oi the fluid to the interiors thereof, placing the case with the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said space and of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse such tubes as are irresistant to the pressure.

5. The herein described method of testing a plurality of open ended tubes assembled to constitute a unit by fluid under pressure applied to substantially the entire exteriors thereof, which resides in simultaneously sealing the ends of the tubes while so assembled against the ingress of the fluid, placing the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said space against the exteriors of the tubes,

and which pressure is of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse any tube or tubes irresistant to the pressure.

' 6. The herein described method of testing hollow bodies having at leastone openend by fluid under pressure while said bodies are in their shipping containers, which resides inremoving portions of thecontainers'to expose the said open ends of the bodies, sealing the said ends otthe bodies against the ingress of the fluid, placing the container with the. bodies so'sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid into said space aunder pressure predetermined by thepressure to which the bodies in use are subjected to act against the exteriors thereby to crush or collapse any body or bodies irresistant to such pressures.

'7. The herein described method of testing Ftubes or the like that have enlarged end portions which resides .in assembling and holding a plurality of the tubes with adjacent end portions of the tubes in engagement with each other thereby to provide spaces between the bodies of adjacent tubes, then sealing the ends of the tubes, placing the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said spaces between and against the exteriors of the tubes of a degreepredetermined by the pressine a: towhich the tubesin use are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse any tube or tubes irresistant. to the testing pressure.

8; The herein described method of testing hollow bodies each :havingat least one open end by fluid under pressure applied tosubstantially the entire exteriors 'of the bodies which resides .in assembling and holding the bodies asa .unit, sealing the openends-of the bodies against the ingress of the fluid by a mediumcommon to all of the open ends, placing the bodies so held and sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said space and of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the bodies in use-are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse such bodies ,as are irresistant to the pressure. v V I 9. The herein described method of testing tubes or the like, which resides in assembling a multiplicity of tubes into a bundle formation with the bodies of adjacenttube spaced from each other and holding same in such formation, applying a by the pressure to which the tubes in use are sub-,.

jected, thereby to crush orcollapse any tube or tubes irresistant to the testing pressure.

10. The .methodnoi ascertaining weakened or. imperfect tubesdn a EIOIIRUftDbzG-S contained in a shipping case or like enclosure, which method comprises exposing said group of tubes at an end thereof, imposing on said end means sealing said tubes against the flow of fluid therein, placing the assembly comprising the shipping case, the tubes and their sealing means into a confined space, and admitting to said space fluid under a pressure at least equal to that to which the tubes are subjected While in use, which fluid acts on the exterior of the tubes and crushes or collapses any tubes of insuflicient strength to sustain the fluid pressure.

11. The herein described method of testing tubes while confined in a shipping container by fluid under pressure applied to the exteriors of the tubes, which resides in removing those portions of the container adjacent the open ends of the tubes so as to expose the latter, then sealing said open ends of the tubes by a medium common to all of the tubes against the ingress of the fluid to the interiors of the tubes, placing the remaining portion of the container together with the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said confined space and against the exteriors of the tubes of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subjected, thereby to crush or collapse such tubes as are irresistant to the pressure.

12. The herein described method of testing a plurality of open ended tubes by fluid under pressure applied to the exteriors of the tubes, which resides in temporarily connecting all of said tubes together in side by side relation to form a unitary structure, then sealing the open ends of the tubes against the ingress of the fluid to the interiors of the tubes, placing the unitary structure with the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said confined space and against the exteriors of the tubes of a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subjected, thereby.to crush or collapse such tubes as are irresistant to the pressure.

13. The herein described method of testing a plurality of tubes having at least one open end by fluid under pressure applied to the exteriors of the tubes, which resides in temporarily connecting all of said tubes in side by side relation with the open ends thereof adjacent to each other to form a unitary structure, sealing all of the adjacent open ends of the tubes by a medium common to all of the tubes against the ingress of the fluid to the interiors of the tubes, placing the unitary structure with the tubes so sealed in confined space, and then admitting fluid under pressure into said confined space and against the exteriors of the tubes of, a degree predetermined by the pressure to which the tubes in use are subiected', thereby to crush or collapse such tubes as are irresistant to the pressure.

HARRY T. BOOTH. 

